Welcome to the glowing heart of Vivid Sydney. Here, Circular Quay’s harbourside side stretch sets the stage for iconic landmarks illuminated by Vivid Light projections and installations, alongside a vibrant and packed program of Music, Ideas and Food experiences.

This iconic location features the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, creating a stunning panorama. Stroll the Light Walk along the waterfront, witness the harbour transform into a dynamic canvas for the world's most spectacular light display and see historic Customs House and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia’s facades come alive.

GETTING THERE 

Trains, buses and light rail services from all over the city will take you right into the heart of Circular Quay. You can also catch a ferry from Manly, Taronga Zoo and Luna Park in the north, or along the Parramatta River stopping at Balmain and Barangaroo. The Rocks is just a short and picturesque walk around the waterfront. 

FAST FACTS 

• Number of Vivid Light installations: 12
• Number of Vivid Music venues: 2
• Number of Vivid Ideas venues: 7
• Number of Vivid Food venues: 6

Closest public transport hub: Circular Quay

VIVID LIGHT

Name: Lighting of the Sails: Echo by Julia Gutman

• Artist: Julia Gutman (Australia)
• Animator: Pleasant Company (Australia)
• Location: Sydney Opera House sails

Art & Architecture | The Human Experience

This year, witness the Sydney Opera House sails transformed by a projected tapestry of fabric for 2023 Archibald Prize winner Julia Gutman’s reimagining of the Narcissus myth. Each Vivid Sydney, the Lighting of the Sails is a captivating experience, and Julia’s beautiful blend of storytelling, fabric patchworks, and technology will be a truly unique spectacle. The beauty of this story will reverberate in your mind long after the lights are switched off.

Name: Sea, Sand and Stars

• Artist: Guan Wei
• Animator: Spinifex Group (Australia)
• Location: Museum of Contemporary Art

Art & Architecture | The Human Experience

Immerse yourself in celebrated Chinese-Australian artist Guan Wei's visionary world. Watch as the story splashed across the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia’s façade takes us from deep in the sea to the outer reaches of space, and back to Bondi Beach. This is the first time Guan Wei’s work has been transformed into a light projection and the result is a poetic journey that explores both the mystical and the everyday.

Name: Gumscape with Road and Creatures  

• Artist: Reg Mombassa (Australia)
• Animator: Spinifex Group (Australia)
• Location: Customs House

Art & Architecture | The Human Experience

Strap yourself in and get ready to embark on a surreal road trip with legendary Australian musician and artist Reg Mombassa. Watch Customs House come alive with retro-futuristic robots, one-eyed koalas and other strange creatures in this reimagining of Australian icons. You can also catch Reg performing as part of Dog Trumpet for a live and free concert outside Customs House on Saturday 25 May at 7:30pm.

Name: Embrace

• Artist: Beamhacker (Australia)
• Location: First Fleet Park

Great for families | Interactive

Step into a circle of life-sized silhouettes that light up with your touch, creating a ripple of connection around you. A mesmerising celebration of human connection and unity.

Name: Faces of Change

• Artist: Tori-Jay Mordey (Australia)
• Animator: Spinifex Group (Australia)
• Location: Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylons

Art & Architecture | First Nations Stories | Agents of Change

Marvel as the Harbour Bridge Pylons are animated with First Nations artist Tori-Jay’s vibrant, surreal art. Faces of Change tells the compelling story of climate action warriors the Torres Strait 8 and their totems. This powerful display blends vibrant art with a critical environmental message for all of humanity to heed.

Name: Lightscape

• Location: Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
• Tickets from $30

Great for families | Interactive

Re-imagined for 2024, this globally renowned multisensory phenomenon of light, colour returns to Vivid Sydney 2024. Experience the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney in a new light, with breath-taking lightworks created by acclaimed local and international artists. Wander beneath towering tree canopies illuminated in colour, stroll beneath larger-than-life flowers and through dynamic, glowing tunnels. Presented by Sony Music in collaboration with Culture Creative.

Name: Connection

• Artist: Angus Muir (New Zealand)
• Location: Hickson Road Reserve

Great for families | Interactive

Connection is a forest made of light, where visitors can wander under a canopy of thousands of LED ropes that react to movement. Interactive posts within this forest trigger dynamic patterns of light and sound, creating a playful and immersive experience that symbolises the ties that bind us as humans.

Name: Migrating Light

• Artist: Collide Public Art Collective and Joel Zika (Australia)
• Location: Walsh Bay

The Human Experience

Trace the stories of Sydney's past migrants in Migrating Light, a series of holographic displays and soundscapes at Walsh Bay. This piece seeks to shine a light on the personal tales of resilience and hope that have helped make Sydney what it is today.

Name: Synthetic Hum(AI)nity

• Artist: VANDAL (Australia)
• Location: ASN Clock Tower

Art & Architecture | Artificial Intelligence | The Human Experience

This piece by Sydney based studio VANDAL is a triptych of humanity, technology and Artificial Intelligence splashed across the ASN Clock Tower. Step up to this visual, interactive, and conceptual exploration of our evolving relationship with AI and rethink what it means to be human.

Name: Mutual States

• Artist: Cody Samson (United States)
• Collaborators: Jacob Sutton (United States) / Paul Araki Elliott (United States) / Tace Stevens (Australia) / Thank You, Inc. (United States) / Dylan Gephart (United States)
• Location: Cadmans Cottage

Artificial Intelligence | The Human Experience

We are our faces. They are a canvas for human emotion and expression. An invitation to connect. Watch as Artificial Intelligence blends and morphs a diverse range of real human faces in this visual meditation on emotion, identity and our shared humanity.

Name: Love is in the Air

• Concept and direction: Gill Minervini (Australia)
• Drone technology: ATN (Australia)
• Soundtrack: Peewee Ferris (Australia)
• Location: Circular Quay and the Rocks

Great for families 

Look up and witness a heart-stirring drone show, as over 700 drones paint the skies above Circular Quay with universal symbols of love. This aerial spectacular of light and colour celebrates our innate capacity to connect, and features an original soundtrack by celebrated composer and DJ Peewee Ferris. This show is set to take place on 8th, 9th and 15th of June from 9.10pm. Please note that weather conditions could impact start times.

Name: Our Connected City

• Artist: Mandylights (Australia)
• Location: Circular Quay and the Rocks

Our Connected City lights up Sydney’s Circular Quay, The Rocks and CBD areas in a symphony of lasers and searchlights, transforming buildings, landmarks, the Harbour Bridge and even ferries on the water into a synchronised display of illumination. All accompanied by a brilliant soundtrack by Australian composer and viral TikTok star Bailey Pickles.  

VIVID MUSIC 

Vivid Sydney Supper Club 

• Thursday and Friday from 9pm 
• Tickets from $69 

Vivid Sydney Supper Club is your festival go-to for late-night cabaret at Mary’s Underground. Every Thursday and Friday night, join your multi award-winning hosts, comedian Rhys Nicholson and chanteuse Georgia Mooney, along with the Supper Club House Band, as they present a strictly limited season of meticulously curated late-night variety shows boasting the best music, comedy, storytelling, and general razzmatazz from around the country.

Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House

• Every night 

This celebratory whole-of-House Vivid Sydney takeover features curated global acts and emerging voices including Arca, Underworld, Air, Fever Ray, Devonté Hynes with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sky Ferreira, Thelma Plum and more.

VIVID IDEAS 

Free + Equal Human Rights Conference

• Location: Hyatt Regency Sydney
• Tickets from $325

Join a pivotal and timely conversation about human rights in Australia at the Free + Equal Human Rights Conference. Presented by the Australian Human Rights Commission, this historic national forum spans two days and includes 12 sessions featuring over 50 leaders from human rights, civil society, legal, business and government sectors. Discussions will focus on a progressive overhaul of Australia’s human rights framework, specifically advocating for the introduction of a Human Rights Act.

A THOUSAND WAYS: An Encounter

• Location: State Library of New South Wales
• Tickets from $39

You’re seated at a table, opposite a stranger, separated by a glass partition. A stack of instruction cards sits between you. This analog, interactive experience puts you and a stranger at the centre of a piece of private 'theatre'. Generating rave reviews from The New York Times, this intimate performance is a profoundly radical invitation to re-imagine how we see each other, and ourselves.

Shifting Perspectives

• Location: Walsh Bay Arts Precinct
• Tickets from $49

Step into Shifting Perspective, an all-ages, all-abilities, immersive dance performance. This thought-provoking dance and light installation invites you to roam within a vast maze of mirrors. Around you, dancers glide past 24 reflective plinths, their movements echoing infinitely. Light dances in unison with sound and you are enveloped in a reality-bending spectacle. Matthew Adey, renowned for his spatial artistry (Dark Mofo's House of Vnholy) has worked in collaboration with Restless Dance Theatre to present a unique world where each step reveals a new perspective, a different you.

AI Will Destroy Humanity: A Future Science Debate

• Location: Parliament House, Legislative Council Chambers
• Tickets from $49

Step into the heart of Sydney's legislative chamber for a night of comedy, calamity and contemplation with AI Will Destroy Humanity: A Future Science Debate. This debate mixes comedy and serious discussion, with participants including Ben Rohald, Dr. Zoe Xirocostas, and Adam Spencer. They'll tackle the controversial topic of AI and its potential to disrupt or propel humanity, providing both levity and profound insights into one of the most pressing modern dilemmas.

Sex Work: A Legal and Social History

• Location: El Alamein Fountain
• Tickets from $59

Take a historic walking tour through Kings Cross and Darlinghurst, exploring the evolving legal and social history of sex work in these iconic suburbs of Sydney. Led by writer, performer and Kings Cross local Vashti Hughes and the Inner City Legal Centre’s Managing Solicitor Katie Green, this tour offers a nuanced perspective on the profession through the lens the AIDS crisis, criminalisation, decriminalisation, and the COVID-19 pandemic. It also includes interactions and performances with key advocates and community figures who share their stories and insights.

Art After Hours X Vivid Sydney

• Location: Art Gallery of New South Wales
• Free

Join a special Vivid Sydney edition of Art After Hours, where leading contemporary artists discuss the theme of humanity in their work. Moderated by writer Benjamin Law, this panel includes Vivid Sydney 2024 artists Julia Gutman, Leila Jeffreys, Reg Mombassa, and Guan Wei.

Place Branding Australia

• Location: Kimpton Margot Sydney
• Tickets from $550

Explore the importance of local pride and cultural unity at Place Branding Australia. This event brings together experts from across Australia and the Pacific to delve into the power of place branding and its impact on economic and social outcomes. It's a deep dive into the strategies behind nation branding and local initiatives, offering insights that drive economic development and cultural identity.

VIVID FOOD

Aurorae at Bennelong Bar

• Location: Sydney Opera House
• Tickets from $55

Vivid Sydney visitors are invited to perch at Bennelong Bar, set within Sydney Opera House, and enjoy a bespoke cocktail and bar snack pairing exclusively crafted for Vivid Sydney by chef Peter Gilmore. A rare opportunity to take in the ambiance of one of Australia’s best restaurants and including live music on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights from 8-11pm.  

Taste, See, Connect

• Location: House Canteen, Bennelong Point Lower Concourse, Sydney Opera House
• Tickets from $49

Immerse yourself in a world of global flavours, marvel at the Vivid Sydney Light Walk and connect with the festival buzz at House Canteen for Taste, See, Connect. Boasting one of the best vantage points to take in the Vivid Sydney Light Walk, enjoy a sharing-style, pan-Asian feast at an exclusive 40-person seating area.

A Culinary Canvas by Danielle Alvarez

• Location: Sydney Opera House - Yallamundi Rooms
• Tickets from $269

Curated by beloved chef Danielle Alvarez this special dinner celebrates women in the Australian food, wine and entertainment industries. Held in the Yallamundi Rooms at Sydney Opera House, the evening features a menu focused on NSW ingredients and includes an intimate performance by Katie Noonan and wine pairings from female NSW winemakers.

Aster Vivid 2024

• Location: Aster Bar
• Tickets from $169

Ascend to Aster at the InterContinental Sydney for a premium dining experience with a 270-degree view of Sydney Harbour lit up with Vivid Sydney light. This event features bespoke Vivid Sydney cocktails and a two-course meal designed to showcase NSW producers.

Luke’s Vivid Table at the Pylon Lookout

• Location: BridgeClimb Pylon Lookout & Museum, Sydney Harbour Bridge, South-East Pylon
• Tickets from $395

Experience a spectacular evening inside the South-East Pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This exclusive dining event, a collaboration between Vivid Sydney, BridgeClimb and leading chef Luke Mangan, features a seasonal three-course menu crafted with the finest NSW ingredients. The meal is complemented by premium wines and offers diners breathtaking views of Sydney Harbour, illuminated by Vivid Sydney.

VividPlace Food Trail

• Location: Ah Toy Lane, Sai Ying Lane
• Free entry

The VividPlace Food Trail transforms Sydney Place and Bulletin Place laneways into a culinary hub, featuring diverse cuisines and exclusive Vivid-inspired dishes for an outdoor market adventure. Open-late, free-entry, this pedestrianised stretch tucked just behind Circular Quay will also feature fire and light installations.

PARTNERS

Samsung, Chorus of Light  

Inspired by Galaxy AI, Chorus of Light is a captivating installation, combining technology and art, that unites humanity through our hopes for the future. Join the Chorus of Light by contributing your voice and recording a message of hope in one of the 16 languages available with Galaxy AI. Each message will be translated and expressed as light in this visual masterpiece. Capture epic Nightography shots amongst the illuminated art with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and explore the future’s endless possibilities with Galaxy AI. 

Kia Kaleidescope 

Step up to Kia Kaleidoscope, a stunning, textural projection map that lights up the all-new Kia EV5. The body of the car transforms into a literal kaleidoscope of pattern, colour and movement, echoing the fun and innovative nature of the Kia EV5. This brilliant showcase uses a diverse range of visual motifs, as we see the body of the car transform through light into liquid metal, overgrown vines and much more, highlighting the creative and imaginative focus represented in Kia’s EV range. From the use of recyclable materials to top of the range technology and safety, Kia’s commitment to sustainable and innovative thinking takes centre stage through this fun and striking light projection. 

For more information and to keep updated about the program, go to vividsydney.com

MEDIA CONTACT:

Destination NSW 

• James Toovey – PR Manager Vivid Sydney 
• PH: +61 407 828 310 
• james.toovey@dnsw.com.au 

Ogilvy PR 

• Jacqueline O’Neill  
• PH: +61 449 107 774 
• jacqueline.oneill@ogilvy.com 

ABOUT VIVID SYDNEY 

Vivid Sydney, the Southern Hemisphere’s leading multi-artform festival, transforms Sydney into a vibrant hub of creativity, innovation and community connection. Over 23 nights, light installations, music, ideas and food inspire global audiences and drive cultural exchange. The 2024 theme, ‘Humanity,’ sparks reflection and engagement, attracting visitors and fuelling economic growth. Proudly owned by Destination NSW, Vivid Sydney showcases NSW's cultural vibrancy and positions it as a global leader in artistic innovation.

ABOUT DESTINATION NSW 

Destination NSW is the champion and voice for the visitor economy within the NSW Government. Spearheading a whole-of-government approach to visitor economy growth, Destination NSW influences and shapes the visitor economy through strategic research, policy and thought leadership, stakeholder engagement and consultation, commercial partnerships and investment in visitor experiences, business support, marketing and events. Destination NSW is also the major investor in Business Events Sydney (BESydney) for the purpose of securing more international and domestic conventions, incentive travel reward programs, corporate events and exhibitions.